I don't blame the millennials for being stupid. It's the natural state of humanity. Not of humans, who are made in the image of God. But of humanity, which is that fluid concoction that inevitably turns the divine spark into an inferno of Hell. It was that very tendency that the much maligned Founding Fathers were concerned about when they established our system of Government, resting heavily on layers of checks and balances to prevent the very thing that almost half of future leaders today want.
And of course, it's what they've been taught. Liberalism rules our nation, and has for several generations. If you look at the chart, you will see a full 1/3 of those who are Democrat support censorship. And since Democrats represent that liberal movement that has dismantled the heritage of the Christian West in favor of a secularized, decadent and narcissistic culture, it's not hard to see how its influence would be felt in such a survey among those who have heard no different. Also interesting is how many identified as non-white, whose ancestors we continually hear were oppressed and subjugated by whites, are now quite happy with a little subjugation of their own, no doubt for reasons they feel to be quite justified.
And in case you're wondering, here's what it looks like in Europe:
Wow. 70% in Germany favor censorship of bad thinking as dictated by the really right people. Didn't see that one coming. Germany? But look at the others. This is an international trend.
About 10 years ago or so, the NYT ran an editorial expressing concern about certain trends that suggested our once hallowed freedom of speech was beginning to be challenged. Because it was the NYT, and most non-partisans couldn't help but notice the ideological affiliation of those who seemed to be itching to eliminate Bill of Rights styled liberties, it was quite a shock. The NYT didn't call it for what it really was. It wasn't some strange fluke, or freakish trend with no explanation. It was the liberalism that the NYTs espouses. It was the emergent Left that, like most Enlightenment era revolutions, has little interest in freedom or liberty or equality, but much interest in tyranny, oppression and the eradication of those who fail to conform to the new Revolutionary spirit.
If I didn't see this echoed across Social Media and even defended in schools and the media, I might think it's just some typical survey that means nothing. Some might say this is no big deal, or that to react is to overreact. I wonder how many things will need to be piled together, and how big that pile of examples will need to be, before we realize we are seeing history repeat itself. For the sake of my children, I'd like to think we'll see it soon and do something to stop the movement before it's too late, if it isn't too late already.
Censorship, for lack of a better word, is good. Censorship
is right, censorship works. Censorship
clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the modern spirit.
I am on an Eric Hoffer kick so bear with me;
ReplyDeleteEric Hoffer
"Ours is a golden age of minorities. At no time in the past have dissident minorities felt so much at home and had so much room to throw their weight around. They speak and act as if they were “the people,” and what they abominate most is the dissent of the majority."
In Our Time (1976), “The Trend Toward Anarchy,” p. 52
The dissent of the majority. I like that. And we all know that the ultimate expression of minority is dictatorship. The problem is, our nation seems to have forgotten that simple truth.
ReplyDeletethese data compare different generations, but they also compare different aged people. You could just as easily build a narrative that older people, who've lived through more, are more likely to realize the dangers of censorship. Young people, being more idealistic and more naïve about the power of government to effect social change, still think the government can enact the "right" decisions and censor "only the right" people. I'm only 30, but I remain optimistic the millennials will outgrow their statism.
ReplyDeleteMichael, thanks for the insight from a different generation. The problem I have is that when I was but a lad, censorship and Holocaust were practically one and the same. And it wasn't just government. I have an old Sociology textbook from college that tackles this very issue. It uses the famous 'Fantastic Beatles Boycott' as an example, illustrating that censorship is not just wrong when done by the government, but wrong when done by anyone. As I've said many times, growing up if a radio station wouldn't play a Madonna song or a record store wouldn't carry a KISS album, it was Fascism and Big Brother all the way! Therefore, if anyone would have said 'yes, government censorship can be good', the predominant liberal culture of the day would have boxed that individual into the same camp as a person saying slavery or genocide is good. In my youth, I can't think of anyone who would have said government censorship is good. At least not without risking the wrath of our cultural context. Which is the point. And taken as a single poll, it might not be a big thing. But taken along with the mounting examples that seem to undercut foundational freedoms and liberties, it's a trend that doesn't bode well for the future, at least IMHO.
ReplyDeleteNow we know why they say "don't trust anyone over 30" - because those people have been around long enough to remember the lies.
ReplyDeleteIndeed Nate. I'm shocked that there wasn't a massive outcry over this from my generation. This wasn't some sideline issue that wasn't a big deal. I was in high school in 1984, and let me tell you, it was everywhere. And we were told it was Reagan and the Conservatives who would initiate the Big Brother days of America. That's why, almost through my entire schooling, such emphasis was placed on censorship is evil, Censorship Is Evil, CENSORSHIP IS EVIL!!! And now, it's the Democrats who, politically top the scale (though not Republicans have a fair representation in the poll as well). But 40%. That's tomorrow's leaders. What have they learned and what has surrounded them for them to conclude that government censorship can be a good thing after all?
ReplyDelete